Improvement in potato-harvesters



2 Sheets-Shet 1. D. F. BROWN. Potato-Harvester.

No. 204,531. Patented June 4,1878.

.fles/a Inner NPETERS PHOTO-LITHDGRAPHER WASHINGTON u c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. F. BROWN. Potato-Harvester.

No. 204,531. Paten ted June 4, I878.

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DAVID F. BROWN, on NEWTON, IOWA, ns sren'on or ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT To I-.1cril r'tD LAMB, on SAME PLACE.

IM PROVEMENT IN POTATO-HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,53 1, dated June 4,1878; application filed August 10, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID F. BROWN, of Newton, in the county of Jasperand State of Iowa, have invented an Improved Potato-Harvester, of whichthe following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to save time, labor, and expense ingathering potato crops.

It consists in forming, arranging, and combining upon a tractablecarriage a rotary digging and lifting fork, a fork-cleaning reel, and avibrating separator, in such a manner that series of bent fork-tineswill successively run under a row of potatoes as the carriage advances,and lift the potatoes, vines, weeds, and soil, and throw all rearwardupon the vibrating riddle, to be separated, all as hereinafter fully setforth.

Figure 1 of my drawings is a longitudinal central elevation of mymachine, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view, together illustrating theconstruction and operation of my complete invention.

a a is a rigid carriage-frame, that may vary in size, and is made ofwood or iron, and joined together in any suitable way. I) is one of thecarriage-wheels, mounted upon a stub-axle rigidly attached to theoutside of the frame a a, near its front end. 0 represents asupportingwheel at the rear end and side of the carriage frame. at isthe rotating shaft or head of my digging-fork. It has its bearings in avibrating frame. f represents a frame, pivoted to the carriage-frame a ain a vertical position, to carry my adjustable rotating fork in itslower end and my fork-cleaning reel in its upper portion. 1 2 3 4represent series of bent tines, projecting radially from the fork-headd. g is a pinion, rigidly fixed on the end of the fork-head d. h is apulley, rigidly fixed on the end of the axle of the reel J. Acorresponding pulley, h, is fixed on the end of the forkhead d. k is acrossing belt on the pulleys h h, and connects the rotating fork andreel, and transmits motion from the fork to the reel. m is adrive-w11eel, rigidly fixed on the inside of the carriagewheel b. nis arock-shaft, suspended upon bearings fixed to the front ends of thecarriage-frame. It has a crank on each end, and the cranks are connectedwith the oscillating fork and reel-bearing frame fby means of rods 0. sis a hand-lever, rigidly fixed to the shaft n, and within reach of thedrivers seat t. 20 represents the frame of a vibrating screen, suspendedfrom the rear portion of the carriage-frame a a by means of links m m. yrepresents a series of rods, forming the screen fixed in the frame to. zis a pit- Inan, connected with a crank-pin on the pinion g and thesuspended screen and separator 10 y, to transform rotary motion intorectilinear and vibrate the separator.

Two or more screens maybe connected with the separator, to thoroughlyclean the potatoes from dirt, and to prevent potatoes from fallingthrough with the loose dirt, to be covered therewith.

In the practical operation of my invention a pole is fixed to the frontand center of my machine and horses hitched thereto, and the carriageadvanced over a row of potatoes.

The driving-wheel and pinion are thrown in gear by means of theoperating mechanism a 'r s, and the rotating digging-fork lowered by thesame means at the same time. As the machine advances, the driving-wheelm, engaging the pinion g, will rotate the fork forward and upward, andthe series of bent tines l 2 3 4. will successively run under the rootsand potatoes in the row and elevate them, together with the soil, vines,and weeds, upon the front ends of the rods y of the separator. The reelj, actuated by the belt 7c on the pulleys h and h, will revolve forwardand downward, and its arms, passing between the fork-tines, will keepthe fork clean, and also aid in carrying the vines and weeds rearwardand separating them from the ground and potatoes thrown upon theseparator w y. The connecting-rod z, actuated by the crank of the piniony, will impart a reciprocating and shaking motion to the separator, tocause the dirt to rub off and fall away from the potatoes as they arepassing rearward on the inclined separator to drop into a suitablereceptacle carried at the rear end, or to drop upon the top of theground, from whence they can be readily picked up.

I claim as my invention- I 1. The rotating fork-head d, having theseries of bent tines 1 2 3 4, the oscillating frame 3. Apotato-harvester composed of the carriljtge a b c, the adjustablesuspended frame f, carrying the fork d, reel j, and pinion g, the

driving-wheel m, the operating mechanism n 7' s, and the vibratingseparator w y, substantially as shown and described.

DAVID F. BROWN.

Witnesses: v

A. L. HARRAH, W. R. BROWN.

